The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a 24-year-old man on Saturday from Thane’s Mumbra in connection with an alleged chemical attack plot. The agency sleuths earlier this week arrested nine people — eight youths and one juvenile — for the alleged plan to mix toxic chemicals either in food or water to cause mass casualties.
The youth was arrested after the probe agency conducted raids in continuation with the ongoing probe into the case. They recovered gadgets like; laptop, tablet, hard disc, pen drives, some mobile phones, also diaries were seized from his home during the search. He will be presented in court today.
The nine people who were arrested on Wednesday called themselves ‘Ummat-e Mohammadiya’ (followers of the Prophet) and were in touch with handlers abroad, ATS had said. Investigators claimed that they had been monitoring the suspects on social media platforms for weeks before conducting raids in Aurangabad and Mumbra in Thane district.
They first got hold of Mohsin, Mohammed Taqi, Mazhar Shaikh and Mohsin’s brother-in-law Mohammed Sarafaraz from Aurangabad. During their interrogation, a relative of Mohsin, Mohammed Mushahid, was identified and picked up from Aurangabad. When questioned, they revealed roles of four others — Salman Khan, Fahad Ansari, Zaman Nawab Khuteupad and the minor — from Mumbra.
“The group was planning to make some poisonous chemical and mix it in food and water at an event that would result in mass casualty. We cannot rule out Holi, as it is an upcoming festival involving water,” said an officer.
All have been booked under IPC, UAPA, and the Bombay Police Act.
